DICV Appoints Alejandro Rodriguez Cuadra As Head Of R&D

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has appointed Alejandro Rodriguez Cuadra as its Head of Research & Development (R&D). He will also serve as Global Head of Engineering Backbone at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

In his dual role, Cuadra will work across DICV, Daimler Truck Innovation Centre India (DTICI) and Mercedes-Benz Trucks to align engineering processes and integrate India's engineering capabilities more closely with Daimler Truck's global engineering network. 

Cuadra most recently held senior leadership roles at Mercedes-Benz Trucks covering manufacturing engineering, product preparation, buildability validation, ramp-up management, series support and R&D activities for pneumatic lines and wiring geometries in Germany and Türkiye. His responsibilities have included cross-border engineering collaboration, process optimisation and establishing operating structures across markets. 

Alejandro Rodriguez Cuadra's Experience At Daimler Truck

Cuadra has held engineering and manufacturing roles across Europe and Asia. During assignments in Japan and India, he worked on lean capabilities, Kaizen practices and manufacturing initiatives. At FUSO Japan, he was responsible for production preparation and supported vehicle launches, including the eCanter electric truck. 

He holds dual degrees in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering from the Technical Universities of Madrid and Munich. Cuadra joined Daimler in 2005 as a career trainee at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks plant in Wörth, Germany, and subsequently held leadership positions across manufacturing engineering, powertrain operations, production preparation and ramp management. 

DICV To Link India Engineering With Global Network

DICV managing director and CEO Torsten Schmidt said Cuadra's international engineering experience would support the company's R&D activities and collaboration with engineering teams across markets. He also pointed to India's engineering capabilities as an area that can be integrated into Mercedes-Benz Trucks' wider engineering network. 

Cuadra said his focus would be on strengthening collaboration between DICV, DTICI and Daimler Truck's global engineering network, while supporting the requirements of the ISEAA region.

DICV serves as the anchor entity for the India, South-East Asia and Australia-Pacific (ISEAA) customer region within the Mercedes-Benz Trucks segment. In his new role, Cuadra will connect DICV and DTICI's engineering capabilities with Mercedes-Benz Trucks' global engineering priorities and the product and technology requirements of markets in the region.